Cobourg Police Service wants to help you be cyber smart because “life happens online”.
With an increasing desire for the convenience of doing everything online comes the increasing ability for illegal activity such as cybercrime. Last year, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre received over 100, 000 reports of fraud resulting in over $100 million lost thanks to identity theft, phishing schemes, vender fraud, security breaches, and other online criminal activity.
Despite this, few companies train their employees in cybersecurity and most people —even those who have already been victims of cybercrime previously— are unaware of what steps they can take in order to prevent it from happening to them or their business. Considering how many people work from home or while on the go, there are plenty of opportunities for hackers to access their accounts and devices.
In 2004, various governmental groups and private organizations then decided to raise awareness about data privacy and cybersecurity. The aim being to help others recognize, reject, and report internet scams and threats. Since then, the month of October has been known as Cyber Security Awareness Month.
Though technology has changed a lot over the years and it can be hard to keep up, having simple and effective tools to protect yourself is important. Here are some tips on how to keep cybersafe:
- Make passwords long and strong by creating unique phrases. Don’t use the same password for everything and never reveal your passwords to anyone.
- Keep your devices, browsers, apps, and anti-virus programs up to date.
- Always lock your computer screen before leaving your desk. Take your phone and other portable items with you.
- Avoid logging into important accounts like your email or internet banking while using public computers or WIFI hotspots.
- Be aware of emails with generic subject lines, unprofessional or odd phrasing, grammatical errors, unnecessary urgency, or too-good-to-be-true offers as they are often scams.
- Whenever asked to provide private information (yours or anyone else’s), verify the identity of the requester —even if it appears to be somebody you know. Examine the email address closely for spelling errors or alterations and even call your friend/the organization to verify they sent the email.
- Before clicking on links or opening attachments, double-check that the sender is someone you trust and also be sure to hover your curser over any links as it may reveal a different destination than expected.
- Don’t download or purchase anything unless it is from a website or content provider you trust.
- Use privacy settings on your social media accounts and be careful of what you post online. Never share personal information, particularly things often used as security questions like your first car, mother’s maiden name, father’s hometown, etc.
- Save backup versions of your files on a separate drive to securely store it. Also delete sensitive information when it’s no longer needed.
If you suspect something to be fraudulent or a cybercrime, report it by visiting the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or by calling 1-888-495-8501 (toll-free).